3. Fatigue: Not Just Another Tiring Day
We all have our low-energy days, where the thought of getting out of bed seems too taxing. But when it comes to cholangiocarcinoma, fatigue is not just a fleeting feeling. It’s persistent, it’s overpowering, and it can severely impact your quality of life.
The exact mechanics behind fatigue in cholangiocarcinoma cases are quite fascinating. It’s not solely about feeling ‘tired’; it’s about a reduced capacity to perform daily activities. Physical tasks that were once trivial suddenly require Herculean efforts.
Fatigue is often one of the first symptoms to appear, even before jaundice or abdominal pain make their entrance. This makes it a crucial symptom to recognize, albeit a challenging one given its ubiquity. It’s easy to brush off a few days of feeling drained as the result of stress or poor sleep.
So why does cholangiocarcinoma induce such fatigue? One reason is anemia, often a byproduct of cancer. Anemia deprives your body of the necessary oxygen and nutrients, leaving you feeling chronically tired. (3)
